Baby poser



u y 95 F. R. ZUM BRUNNEN 2,646,735

BABY POSER Filed June 15, 1951 INV OR.

um/2A TM A-rvanuavs Patented Jul 2 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABY POSER Frederick R. ZumBrunnen, Monroe, Wis. Application June 13, 1951, Serial No. 231,305

The invention relates to photography and more particularly to what I have termed a baby poser.

The photographing of babies or infants has always presented difficulties because of the character of the subject and the difficulty in having the subject assume any set position for enough time to photograph it properly. I have found that if the bady or infant is photographed in a prone position, that better results will be obtained than if the infant is otherwise positioned, and for this purpose the main object of this invention is to provide a structure for supporting an infant or baby in a prone position so that the camera will take a front view of the baby showing the head and upper portion of the body.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of my baby poser structure, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the upper part of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with the subject outlined thereon; I

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view taken along the line 6--B of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the baby poser structure herein comprises spaced supporting uprights 8 which are connected together by side boards or braces 9 and storage compartment bottoms H]. The compartments are used to store baby toys or other accessories that may be of use in the taking of the picture. Mounted between the uprights 8 is an infant supporting platform I! which comprises a main supporting frame or board i2 of wood or other suitable material which has a cushion pad 13 mounted thereon covered by a covering 14 except for the crotch support hereinafter described. The platform ll preferably has a curved front l5 built as a part thereof with sides 16 so that the infant can place its hands and arms on this curved support and will not be in danger of pitching forward therefrom. This curved front end of the supporting platform also aids in forming a suitable foreground piece for the subject of the picture as at least its upper portion is included 4 Claims. (CI. 95-82) as a part in the frame of the picture as indie cated by the dotted lines I! in Fig. 4.

The infant is placed on the platform II in a prone position with its arms resting on the curved roll l5 and its head upraised facing the camera. In this position of the subject the platform II is usually inclined and to prevent the infant from sliding down on the platform a crotch support I 8 in the form of a covered Wood block l9 is adjustably secured by a bolt 20 and guide screw 2| on the platform. The shank of the bolt 20 as well as the shank of the screw 2| are slidably mounted for adjustment purposes in a lengthwise extending slot 22 disposed in the central portion of the board I2 and are clamped in the desired adjusted position by screwing up of the wing nut 23.

In order to accommodate different size infants and to get the desired view, the supporting platform II is preferably adjustably mounted between the uprights 8. One adjustment provides for elevating or lowering the platform and is formed by a series of vertically disposed sets of holes 24 in each of the uprights 8, any one of which will cooperate with a headed rod 25 which extends through alined openings 24 and eyed brackets 26 secured to the lower front portion of the platform. Forsecuring the desired angular disposition of the platform ll relative to the camera and relative to any given elevation at which the platform II has been set, there is another series of vertically disposed spaced holes 21 at the rear side of each of the uprights 8. Any one of the alined holes 2! is adapted to receive a headed rod 28 which'in addition to passing through these sets of openings passes through spaced guides 29 secured to the bottom of the platform ll so that after the front adjustment is made, the platform I I may be tipped to different angular positions and secured in this position by running the rod 28 through the set of holes 21 then alined with the guides 29.

The structure has been shown as a full height structure, and in such cases it is preferable to provide an easy method of moving the same around, and for this purpose brackets 30 are secured to one of the sides of each of the uprights 8 and each bracket has a castor type Wheel 3| mounted therein. Normally the wheels 31 are above the floor, but by tipping the structure in the directions of the wheels so that the wheels 3| engage the floor, it may be trundled around to the desired place and is an easier method of transporting it than carrying the same bodily.

In some instances the full length uprights 8 that engage the floor may not be used but the uprights 8 be of such a length as to constitute supports for what may be termed a table model of the device in which instance the shelf H] of the drawings might constitute the bottom of the model that was to be supported on a table, and since this would mean merely cutting off the lower part of the supporting structure without changing the other parts, it has not been shown.

It will be noted that the uprights 8 project upwardly from each side of the supporting platform and thus serve as side guards to prevent the infant from rolling off the sides of the plat I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a structure of the character described, the combination of spaced uprights having side guard portions, each of said uprights having longitudinally spaced series of vertically spaced apertures spaced from the top of the side guard portions, an elongated supporting platform for carrying an infant in a prone position thereon, said platform having spaced sets of apertures below its top cooperating with said spaced series of apertures, rods removably engageable with said apertures in said platform and any one of vertically spaced sets of apertures in said uprights to adjustably hold said platform in the desired vertical position with its rear end downwardly inclined to bring the front portion of the infant in a prone position thereon toward the camera, and means on said platform forming a back stop engaged by a part of said infant to prevent the infant slipping downwardly toward the lowered end of said platform.

2. A device for photographically posing an infant comprising a support having upstanding side guards and an elongated platform for supporting the infant in a prone position and with its face and the upper portion of its body toward the camera, said platform extending lengthwise between said guards, means for vertically adjustably mounting said platform below the tops of said upstanding guards and for angularly adjusting said platform to various inclinations relative to said guards in any of its vertical positions, and means on said platform and extending upwardly therefrom forming a back stop engaged by a part of said infant to prevent the infant slipping downwardly toward the lowered end, of said platform.

3.'The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein the supporting platform has a rolled front edge for receiving the hands and arms of the infant, a part of which edge may be included as a part of the foreground in the framing of the infant in the picture.

4. A device for photographically posing an in fant comprising a support, an elongated platform, means for angularly adjustably mounting said platform on said support in a lengthwise inclined position, a member adapted to engage the crotch of an infant projecting upwardly from said platform and lengthwise adjustably secured to said platform intermediate its ends to limit backward movement of the infant relative thereto posed in a prone position thereon with its head and shoulders at the forward end of said platform. I

FREDERICK R. ZUMBRUNNEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 277,650 Wright May 15, 1883 604,990 Levy May 31, 1898 2,489,390 Stearns Nov. 29, 1949 tuna. 

